No cards or pictures today... regretfully I'm still not feeling all that great and haven't gotten around to hashing out the details of the Tristar show. Maybe tonight I can sit down at the computer for a while and work through it all.
But for today, I had a conversation last night who is a good friend. He's got a bit of a different perspective than I do regarding the hobby, and while I respect it I can't help but disagree. You see, this guy is an authorized dealer and makes his livelihood from selling Topps' and other companies products and he does a very good job at it. The conversation was about 2012 Topps' upcoming release. He couldn't be more excited. I couldn't be more apathetic. I view the Million Card Giveaway, Diamond Anniversary Giveaway and the Gold Rush Giveaway as gimmicks to sell mass quantities of boxes/cases. And I have to admit that these first two promotions have worked amazingly well... for Topps and their dealers. For average collectors? Eh... I'm not so sure.
I look in my closet and I have a 3200 count box full of extras from 2010 and 2011 Topps. I also have complete sets of both and then about a billion incomplete insert sets. I have a few hits left from my boxes of both products, but the ones I have left are ones no one wants... Marlon Byrd anyone? Surprisingly I've held a Prince Fielder Topps 60 Relic for nearly a year now... anyone? *Crickets*
Now as for the "Gold Rush" wrapper redemption promo.... well, it kind of makes me sick to my stomach. We have to send in 50 wrappers, that's pretty much a box and a half worth of packs (about $90) to get a 5 card pack which MIGHT contain an autograph. And here's the kicker, you have to get those packs ripped and submitted by a post-mark date of February 29th. So, go spend a lot of money and spend it FAST. Does anyone else not see the marketing gimmick veiled in this promo?
Am I totally off base? Is my apathy towards 2012 Topps unfounded? What say you? I'm not seeing a single release I'm excited about. (Yes readers, even 2012 Gypsy Queen is not peaking my interest.)
We'll see how it goes. I think 2012 may be the year of set completion for my side bar goals, and I'll just sit back and watch the chaos as everyone goes after the Gold Rush... I'm just afraid it'll be fool's gold at the end of this rainbow... I hope I'm wrong...
A baseball card blog for the hopelessly addicted wax pack opener...
If you enjoy the chase, keep buying unopened product.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, start buying the specific cards/team sets/sets you want from the case breakers. Ultimately, it's less frustrating and less expensive (unless you have phenomenal pack-opening luck.)
Right now, I'm going to chase select relics of 2012 sets and maybe an insert set that ends up speaking to me. Otherwise, I'll just collect Reds, Tigers and a couple of players I like. Everything else I end up with, I'll look to deal.
ReplyDeleteThe one exception likely will be Heritage. I'm a fan of Heritage, but I'll see how it grabs me when I have a pack in hand.
Meanwhile, I'd be happy to snag the Fielder relic in a deal.
I couldn't agree more. When I first saw the 2012 preview my only thought was "meh". I'm not going to lie and say I won't buy any, but I'm definitely not going to buy the 15+ blasters I did last year. I'll buy one or two, just to open something. Then I'll wait 3-4 weeks and get my team set for cheap. If there's a hit I want, I'm sure by the time the bigger/more premium sets come out in the summer/fall, they'll be down to $0.99 and I can pick them up from COMC at my leisure. :)
ReplyDeleteSo, no, you're not off base at all. I'm with you 100%.
Well, here's a question:
ReplyDeleteAre people going to be willing to buy wrappers in bulk the way they were buying diamond redemption cards?
That being said, I strictly buy packs to try and get Cardinals cards, and I have to go cost/benefit analysis on a promotion like this. I'd rather spend the $90 on Cardinals stuff (or stuff for my son), than trying to chase a chance to get a Cardinal auto.
I'll be selling off the wrappers on ebay asap when i get the cards because there is no way i'm getting the wrappers needed to send in anything.
ReplyDeleteHey,Dimwit,i'm your Al neighbor up here in Prattville,near Montgomery
I was thinking of buying a Jumbo box to collect the set and see what "hits" I got. Then sell the Gold Giveaway codes and recoup some of the cost that way. Then I realized for the price of a Jumbo I could get a nice Astros card so I doubt I'll be buying a jumbo. Maybe a regular box just to bust something but I don't know.
ReplyDelete